There are a variety of handrails for use on walls adjacent staircases, verandas, roofs, windows and floors in hospitals. As to handrails for staircases, there are a variety of types, such as those for use on straight staircases, those used on L-shaped staircases, those used on U-shaped staircases. Since those used on winding staircases and the length, slope and winding configuration of such staircases vary depending upon the type of buildings, the configuration of the staircase handrails also varies widely. Thus, the length and winding configuration of the top rails which form components of such handrails must be based upon the length and winding configuration of the installation areas, e.g. the staircases, verandas, windows or walls where such handrails are installed, and as a result, there are a great variety of top rails having varying configurations.
Therefore, it is quite difficult to produce a standardized top rail applicable to different installations at less expense on a large scale and at present, only a few varieties of standardized top rails are produced on a large scale to be used for a limited variety of buildings such as standardized apartment houses and buildings. Top rails for other types of buildings have to be produced in order to meet particular conditions at the installation area or a top rail portion for a straight portion of a particular handrail installation area and a top rail portion for a winding portion of the installation area must be produced separately. In the latter case, the top rail portion for the straight installation area portion is produced having a standardized length and as to the top rail portion for the winding portion of the installation area, a variety of top rail portions having different winding configurations are produced in advance and a particular one which is suitable to a particular installation is selected out of such top rail portions. The two part type top rail (straight and winding top rail portions) are connected together by means of welding or the like on at the installation site.
However, in the former case, since the particular top rail applicable to only a particular installation area is produced to order, the production cost of the top rail inevitably becomes high, and in the latter case, (two part rail), although the production cost of the top rail may be reduced somewhat, there are problems in precisely aligning the adjacent ends of the straight and winding top rail portions in abutment and also in giving pleasant appearance to the connection between the two top rail portions. Thus, the installation of these conventional top rails is a quite troublesome operation.
Therefore, in order to eliminate the problems inherent in the conventional top rails as described hereinabove, one object of the present invention is to provide a top rail for use with handrails which is produced with an indefinite length and is cut to the length of particular installation area, bent in conformity with the configuration of the installation area and attached to the installation area as a single piece without joints or the use of any connector means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a top rail for use with handrails which can be produced in a continuous operation at reduced expense and which can be easily attached to an installation area in a simpler operation.